UPís Womenís Basketball team will play its 1000th game as a program on Saturday when UP plays either Boston College or Sacred Heart in Seattle. Womenís college basketball has been on the Bluff since the 1977-78 season, and moved from the NAIA to NCAA D-I in 1986.

Just as in UP Womenís Soccer, the basketball team has had some wonderful young women through the years, but from a won/loss standpoint only the mid-90ís stand out in memory as really good years for the program...interestingly enough, those years coincided with the years Kelly Graves was an assistant.Kelly is now the VERY successful head coach at Gonzaga after a short stint at St. Maryís College.

After seeing the first few games of the season, and now knowing the teamís best player, Cassandra Brown, is done for the year, and possibly her career...the outlook is rather bleak for this season. It will be nice if we donít finish last in the WCC, but to accomplish that mediocre goal, UPís Finnish freshman are going to have to step-up big time.

Tonight they play Seattle U at 8 PM in the Connolly Center in Seattle, and depending on the results, the Pilots will play again tomorrow evening at 6 or 8 PM.

PilotNut wrote:We have talked a bit about expectations for the men's team... what about the women's program? Is this acceptable?

In my mind, absolutely not!

There have been many hard core fans who have turned away from the program in recent years......and they vow to never come back until there is a coaching change.

I've got to support the kids, but it's getting tougher and tougher to stomach what we've been seeing; especially after the fun years in the '90's.

The players and parents love the coach (for the most part), and that's important when you consider basketball is just a means to a college education and great camaraderie, but for the fans.....not so much.

DoubleDipper wrote: and that's important when you consider basketball is just a means to a college education and great camaraderie

But it could be so much more. Athletic success and academic & social success are not mutually exclusive.

It is time for fans to let their feelings be known. We need to expect more and raise the bar. Let the Athletic Department know you are disappointed, and let them know that you would buy more game tickets, merchandise, Pilot Club memberships, etc., if they would also agree to also invest in the program.

DoubleDipper wrote: and that's important when you consider basketball is just a means to a college education and great camaraderie

It is time for fans to let their feelings be known. We need to expect more and raise the bar. Let the Athletic Department know you are disappointed, and let them know that you would buy more game tickets, merchandise, Pilot Club memberships, etc., if they would also agree to also invest in the program.

But we've already got the AD working on the Dance Team outfits.

Yes, I agree with you to a point, but I'm sure the AD has evaluated each of the programs and has talked to all of the head coaches about their programs.

It is obvious the current coach has stayed longer than most expected, including himself, as he was originally talking about retiring a few years back. My understanding is he would have left before this season if his number two would have been elevated to the top spot.....as that didn't happen, I think it tells us something about the AD's thinking about a complete change at some point.

UP has become the softest team in the WCC and does not dive or hustle for balls like other teams, so that has to be about desire and motivation more than skill. Don't get me wrong, there are some very fine players on the squad, but at times it seems they are adrift when it comes to a solid game plan....their execution has been abysmal at times.

DoubleDipper wrote: and that's important when you consider basketball is just a means to a college education and great camaraderie

It is time for fans to let their feelings be known. We need to expect more and raise the bar. Let the Athletic Department know you are disappointed, and let them know that you would buy more game tickets, merchandise, Pilot Club memberships, etc., if they would also agree to also invest in the program.

But we've already got the AD working on the Dance Team outfits.

Yes, I agree with you to a point, but I'm sure the AD has evaluated each of the programs and has talked to all of the head coaches about their programs.

It is obvious the current coach has stayed longer than most expected, including himself, as he was originally talking about retiring a few years back. My understanding is he would have left before this season if his number two would have been elevated to the top spot.....as that didn't happen, I think it tells us something about the AD's thinking about a complete change at some point.

UP has become the softest team in the WCC and does not dive or hustle for balls like other teams, so that has to be about desire and motivation more than skill. Don't get me wrong, there are some very fine players on the squad, but at times it seems they are adrift when it comes to a solid game plan....their execution has been abysmal at times.

I think the new boss's first tough job will be handling the coaching situation at the end of the season. Given everything the coach has done for the university you have to make any change with class and respect. Like you say there is some quality in the team now; it's just a question of putting it together during a game.

Boston College hit 11 three point shots tonight and the Pilots scored only 14 points in the first half enroute to a 68-40 loss in the consolation game in Seattle.

For a change, turnovers were not a problem (13), but I donít think Iíve ever seen our womenís team (or any other team) shoot so poorly from the free throw line (6/21) or be outrebounded so badly (42-29).